Home Care In Central, SC

CENTRAL, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Two of late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s childhood friends sat down to share memories of the man they knew long before Washington. They described him as a boy who grew up in a small South Carolina town, lost his parents young, and went on to spend decades shaping American policy.

Billy Mullinax and Buddy Evatt grew up alongside Graham in Central, S.C. Flipping through a worn high school yearbook, the two recalled a younger version of the senator, one who wrestled, played golf and football, and excelled at history at D.W. Daniel High School.

Graham lost both of his parents at a young age. Mullinax said he knows that feeling. He said a shared experience of early grief bonded them.

“We can’t help the way we were raised, but we take the way and try to do better, and he did,” Mullinax said.

The friends recalled stories of pool halls, bird hunts, the day Graham earned his pilot’s license, and the day he found what they described as his calling, his Senate seat.

“He had a game plan, he pursued it and made it happen,” Mullinax said.

Evatt said the last time they spoke, he always asked Graham the same question: when are you coming home?

“I said, ‘he’ll know when he’s had enough,’” Evatt said. “But apparently, he got to die doing what he loved,”

“He’s a servant. We all can’t be preachers. We can’t all be lawyers. But we all have to do something in life, and Lindsey did it,” said Mullinax.

Both men said Graham’s connection to Central would not fade.

“Lindsey Graham was a good fighter and he finished and he kept the faith,” Mullinax said. “Lindsey you can come home now and rest.”

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CENTRAL, S.C. —

The Town of Central in South Carolina is informing customers that the water system has reported levels of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) above drinking water standards.

Below is the full letter posted on the town's website:

"Town of Central (SC3910005) has levels of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) above Drinking Water Standards. Our water system recently exceeded a drinking water standard.

"Although this is not an emergency, we want to inform you about what happened, what it means, and the steps we are taking to correct the situation.

"We routinely monitor for the presence of contaminants in our drinking water.

"Test results for disinfection byproducts (DBPs) from the four (4) quarters ending September 30, 2026, indicate that our system exceeded the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs). The drinking water standard for Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) is 0.080 mg/L. During the referenced compliance period, a sample collected at our Old Shirley Road monitoring location measured 0.082 mg/L, which exceeded the MCL.

What should I do?
"At this time, no alternative source of drinking water is necessary. However, if you have specific health concerns, you should consult your healthcare provider. What does this mean? This is not an emergency. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. People who drink water containing Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) above the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous system and may have an increased risk of developing cancer."
What happened?

"When disinfectants are used to treat drinking water, they can react with naturally occurring organic and inorganic materials in the water to form disinfection byproducts (DBPs). In this case, those reactions resulted in Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) exceeding the drinking water standard at one monitoring location. What is being done? The Town of Central is actively researching and evaluating options to reduce Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) in the water system. These options may include additional treatment processes designed to lower TTHM levels. While the Town is trending down in the right direction, we have also implemented a corrective action plan that includes directional flushing of hydrants in the affected area to improve water quality. We will test again next quarter. You do not need to boil your water."

"Please share this information with everyone who drinks this water, especially anyone who may not have received this notice directly, such as residents of apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses. You may do so by posting this notice in a public location or by distributing copies by hand or mail. If you have any questions, please contact Adam Manley at 864-639-6381, by email at [email protected], or by mail at: Town of Central P.O. Box 549 Central, SC 29630."

CENTRAL, S.C. —

The town of Central sent out a drinking water notice, which has sparked some concerns. The notice said byproducts in the water exceeded a drinking-water standard. The town is now under a consent order.

According to town officials, the issue is not an emergency, and people do not have to boil their water or use an alternative water source.

However, if the issue is not corrected, there are health risks.

Central Administrator Phillip Mishoe said the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services tested areas in town that are considered the most vulnerable. Mishoe identified those areas as Old Shirley Road and Fond Du Lac Drive.

Mishoe said that around the end of June 2026, SCDES reported the Old Shirley Road level came back elevated at .088. The acceptable level standard is .080, according to Mishoe.

According to the administrator, the water is treated to kill germs, and that treatment can create disinfectant byproducts, which resulted in the level rising above the drinking water limit. The notice sent out to customers by the town says people who drink these byproducts above the acceptable level, over many years, may have health issues like kidney or liver problems.

WYFF 4 asked if the issue could have been prevented.

"Yes, probably. I think if we had increased the number of times that we flush those lines probably would have prevented it," Mishoe said. "I'm really not completely convinced that this could have been avoided just because it was so hot."

Mishoe highlights that the heat can impact the byproducts in the water as well.

Currently, the town is using the flushing methods at the testing sites once a week.

"We just got a test a couple of weeks ago back in as .082, so we're trending in the right direction," Mishoe said. "If we continue to do what we're doing, everything should be below the unacceptable level by next quarter."

According to Mishoe, SCDES will likely test in October or November, but the town does not know the exact date. He said they will be given a 24-hour notice.

The administrator also says the town will remain under a consent order for four quarters, and if the levels remain acceptable, the order will be lifted.

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Hometown officials recall senator who helped secure $2M for fire station months before his death

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Before Lindsey Graham became one of the country’s most recognizable U.S. senators, he was a small-town attorney advising local leaders in the South Carolina Upstate — a role people who worked with him say reflected the person he remained throughout his career.

Graham served as Central’s city attorney from 1990 to 1994. Before that, he served as assistant county attorney for Oconee County from 1988 to 1992. At times, he held both positions while also maintaining a private law practice in the Seneca and Central area. Meeting minutes from that period show Graham attending council meetings, including one in March 1992 that lists him as the acting county attorney for the evening.

‘An unassuming person’

Central Mayor Ken Dill said Graham’s approach to public life was consistent whether he was advising a town council in the early 1990s or representing South Carolina in Washington decades later.

“During that time, I think he probably would, like I said, been an unassuming person — coming to observe, take notes, whatever it is that he needed to do,” Dill said. “And, you know, he would have probably then just gone on his way.”

Dill said Graham declined an offer to have a street named after him.

“A former mayor asked to name a street after him,” Dill said. “He said, no, don’t want to do that. Cost too much money, too much — no, don’t do that.”

Fire station funding

Town Administrator Phillip Mishoe said Graham continued to support Central even in the final months of his life.

Mishoe said Graham’s office helped the town secure $2 million in federal grant funding for a new fire station — a project that had been in the works for years.

“The current fire station was built around 1967,” Mishoe said. “So it really needs upgrading and we’ve been looking for funding. And we had had some and we had discussed it with his office and with him. And he helped us get $2 million in for the fire station. This happened six or seven months ago.”

Mishoe said a Graham representative came to town hall in person to present the check. The fire station project is estimated to cost $5.5 million, with construction underway along Main Street.

‘He remembered everybody’

Mishoe recalled an encounter with Graham at a Central Christmas parade that he said captured the senator’s character.

“I stuck my hand out and said, ‘Hey, Senator Graham,’” Mishoe said. “And he said, ‘Philip, how’s everything going in Central?’ And I was just shocked. But that’s just the way he was. He remembered everybody. He never forgot people’s names.”

Mishoe said Graham would show up to Upstate events unannounced and without an entourage.

“He always came across to me as just being a very humble man,” Mishoe said. “He’s just humble. If there’s anything that I can say about him — he was just a good guy, good person.”

Dill said Graham also helped Central residents navigate federal issues, including an immigration matter involving a family trying to bring children into the country.

Political career rooted in Central

Graham took his first step into elected office in 1992, winning a seat in the South Carolina House while still serving as Central’s city attorney. He later served in the U.S. House before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002. He served in the Senate until his death in 2026 at age 71.

Dill said he wants Graham to be remembered for never forgetting where he came from.

“I think that he didn’t forget where he was from,” Dill said. “He remembered that he was from this place. And that’s honorable to those people who have lived here their whole lives.”

Central’s Town Council was scheduled to hold a moment of silence in Graham’s honor during its 6:30 p.m. meeting. Dill said the town plans to pursue a memorial but had not yet determined what form it would take.

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